


Something Unexpected

by EphemeralEntity



Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/M, I'll tag more people as they appear!, Strilondes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-26
Updated: 2013-07-27
Packaged: 2017-11-27 00:58:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/656263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EphemeralEntity/pseuds/EphemeralEntity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Dave is an asshole and Roxy is clumsy.<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Rainy Day

**Author's Note:**

> I don't really know what this is, I just felt the need to write!  
> Originally, this wasn't Homestuck, so yeah the characterization is... a little off.

    Rain fell in wet streaks down Roxy's face as she held her jacket above her head in a futile attempt to stay dry. She scurried down the alley, ducking under awnings when she could. Her clothes were soaked through and clinging uncomfortably to her body, but she was undeterred. A few blocks ahead her apartment waited for her and she was ready for a warm shower, a martini or four, and a night of debating the finer points of wizardry.

    She was so engrossed in her thoughts that it took her a moment to figure out what was going on when she found herself sitting in a puddle, even more wet than she had been before. Clumsiness had always been one of her strong suits. A boy stood in front of her with a conflicted look on his face. She couldn’t tell if he was concerned, amused, or both.

    “That was a pretty, uh, dramatic fall. Are you alright?” He brushed blond hair out of his face, apparently unbothered by the fact that it was pouring. 

    “Yeah, I’m fine,” Roxy said, stammering a little more than she liked. She made a movement to gather the things that had tumbled out of her purse when she fell, but fell back when a jolt of pain ran up her arm.

    “Here let me help,” the boy said, now sounding decidedly worried. He stooped down and grabbed her things and held them out to her. She took them in one hand and tried her best to be graceful when she dumped them into her bag and shakily stood up. The rain was still coming down hard, which didn’t make regaining her balance any easier, but she was soon on her feet.

    “Do you need me to walk you home or anything?” the boy asked, holding out a hand in case she lost her balance again.
  
    “I don’t usually walk through alleys with strangers, and besides, I’m perfectly fine,” Roxy spat out defensively.
  
    “I don’t usually leave injured girls laying in the street,” he countered. He didn’t look like he was going to take no for an answer, so she just gave him a hard look and started walking towards home. He kept up with her fast pace, and soon they were standing at her doorway.
  
    “So, thanks or whatever, I hope you feel all chivalrous and whatnot, but I’m pretty sure I got it now, “ she said, going for intimidating but missing the mark completely. He chuckled quietly and looked up at her with a smirk.
  
    “Alright then, try to stay a little more upright from now on” he said, and turned to leave.
  
    She dug through her purse for her key, but came up empty-handed. She knew better than to expect that anyone was home, and she wasn’t exactly prepared to wait by herself, especially in the less than perfect weather. Sighing inwardly, she came to a decision. Hopefully she wouldn’t regret it.
  
    “Wait!” she called out. The boy turned around slowly, looking amused. If she didn’t know any better, she would say it looked like he had forseen this turn of events. He looked at her expectantly.
  
    “Could you, fuck, sorry. It’s just, I don’t have my keys. And. Yeah. Would you mind waiting with me? I don’t…” she trailed off. She knew she didn’t sound the least bit composed, but it was nearing dusk, and she didn’t like the idea of waiting on her doorstep alone.
  
    “It’s fine,” the boy said, “I don’t mind. I charge by the minute, though.”
  
    She looked at him incredulously before realizing he was joking. Then she just felt childish for even considering he was being serious in the first place. Dropping her bags, she sat down on the steps. There was no sense in worrying about getting wet; she was already soaked through.
  
    The boy sauntered over to her step, stopping in front of her with his brow furrowed. Apparently he was back to being concerned.
  
    “You’re absolutely sure you don’t have your keys?”
  
    “Yes, I’m sure” she said, back on the defensive. She hadn’t exactly had a fun afternoon, and his condescension was not helping. To prove her point, and hopefully goad the infuriating stranger into reacting, she shook out the contents of her pink bag over her steps.
  
    “Are you satisfied with that? I don’t see my keys, or anything that would get me any closer to being inside my house and away from you”
  
    He smirked, and she swore she saw a flash of crimson behind the aviators he was wearing. They hadn’t known each other for but five minutes and she already knew beyond a doubt that he was a massive prick.
  
    Silently, he reached down and picked out something out of the mess she had impulsively created. He held it up as though he wasn’t quite sure what he was holding. The lingering smirk he wore gave it away, though.
  
    Her keys. Goddamnit.
  
    Roxy blushed furiously, and stood up to snatch her keys back. Once they were in her hand, she turned around, unlocked her door, stepped inside, and then slammed the door shut. She’d worry about her scattered belongings once the boy left. At the moment, she was too embarrassed to face him and too wet to face the rain. With any luck, and maybe a few drinks, she could forget any of this had ever happened.

 


	2. Why not?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Roxy has a roommate

Blinding light shone through her open window, making the pounding in her head intensify. She groaned, rolling to her side and pulling her pillow over her head. Honestly, she should know better by now. Hangovers were the worst.

            She mustered up every ounce of her will power to sit up and drag herself to the other side of the room to her closet. She picked up a sleeveless shirt with her favorite cat emblem on it and pulled it slowly over her head. Ready to conquer the world, or at least the kitchen, she moved out of her room.

            Her pink bag lay on the counter along with the contents she had spilled all over her doorstep yesterday. Thank god she had remembered to bring it all inside before it got stolen.

            ….Wait, she had brought that in herself, right? She rifled through her things, looking for a clue. Yeah, she definitely did not remember bringing this inside.

            Suddenly, she found a bright red post-it note amongst her things. She unfolded it carefully, half expecting it to contain some sort of explosive (so what if that didn’t make sense, it was early okay). Fortunately, it only contained a few lines messy handwriting.

            _“my name is dave, by the way. i know you don’t appreciate the whole knight in shining armor thing, but if you need me to save you from an evil stepmother or some shit my number’s 979-251-0028”_

            Well that was cool.

            She continued to search through her things, still not entirely convinced everything was there, but stopped when she heard the front door of the apartment open and then slam closed.

            “Good morning, Roxy! You’ll never believe what I found at the farmer’s market! Cupcakes… with starfish sprinkles! So. Cute!” she heard her roommate squeal from the front room.

            “For the love of everything holy, Feferi, would you please tone it down a few notches,” she responded grumpily.

            “Oh hush, you’ll understand once you see them,” Feferi said, entering the dim kitchen and flipping on the lights. Roxy hissed in response to the sudden change. Feferi rolled her eyes, and moved to start coffee for her apparently incapable roommate.

            “Oh, I brought your bag inside, I think you forgot it on the steps..?” Feferi said from her position at the counter. Well that partially explained it. At least now she knew “dave” hadn’t broken into her apartment.

            “Yeah, it’s actually a long and not so awesome story. Thanks, though,” Roxy responded, inwardly kicking herself for even saying that. She wasn’t exactly keen on sharing all the details about her…adventure from yesterday.

            “Oooooh, now you have to tell me!”

            Roxy sighed and as quickly and painlessly as possible recapped the events of the prior afternoon. By the end, Feferi was giggling uncontrollably.

            “Well, I think you should text him! He seems nice and it’s been so long since you've gone on a date with someone!”

            That was true. Roxy had turned into somewhat of a recluse the past few months, ever since her long-time crush and best friend had come out. She had been shocked, to say the least, though she tried to be supportive. He’d never even known she liked him, and now it was better that it stayed that way. Regardless, she had become accustomed to the solidarity and wasn’t sure she actually wanted to get out of the house.

            “ I dunno Fef, I kinda like being the hermit. I think it suits me pretty well.” Roxy said as she got up to pour herself a large mug of coffee. “Anyway, I’ve been busy with school. You would not believe the number of essays my professors think it’s okay to assign at once. Shit’s cray.” She continued on for a few minutes, hoping that by going off on a tangent she could distract her roommate from playing cupid.

            “Well, anyway, I have work to do, and you have a mysterious suitor to text! Later, Roxy!” Feferi skipped into her bedroom and shut the door behind, no doubt congratulating herself on a match well made.  
            Roxy sipped her coffee thoughtfully, and considered texting him. No, there was no way that could possibly end well. But on the other hand, it could be interesting and it _had_ been quite awhile since she last seriously talked to a guy. Most likely, nothing would come of it even if she did text him. There was nothing stopping her, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How exactly does one write Feferi? 
> 
>  
> 
> wat am i even doing here


	3. Second Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nerves and coffee dates. Wait, no, it's totally not a date what're you talking about.

Roxy stood in the shower, letting the steaming water massage the tension out of her shoulders. More than that though, it was helping her to think clearly. She was anxious, though she couldn’t quite figure out why (it had nothing to do with waiting for the enigmatic Dave to text her back, nope definitely not). She also couldn’t figure out why she had waited so long to get back into the game, she was seriously out of practice.

She lathered her hair, cursing when her phone went off, startled her, and caused her to get shampoo in her eyes. It was really just not her day. She scowled at herself as her heart jumped with hope. She barely knew this guy, and he had been nothing but a jerk to her, why was she even hoping he had texted her back? (Fuck, wait, no she definitely was not hoping that.)

After rinsing her hair, Roxy turned the shower off and toweled dry. She stepped out and looked at herself in the mirror, pointedly ignoring her lit-up phone.

Her wet hair fell near her shoulders and she absently noted that it was due for a cut as she styled it into place. _“Maybe I’ll dye it pink next time I go to the salon,”_ she thought as she searched through the multitude of brightly colored bottles and makeup containers on the counter. All she needed in her life was a little variety, not any strange, rude boys.

She sighed to herself and finally decided to look at her phone. She held her breath as she picked up the bedazzled pink thing and unlocked it.

_“i didn’t think you’d need saving again so soon. why don’t we meet for coffee to discuss prices?”_

“What an asshole…” Roxy mumbled (though with a tiny grin pulling up the sides of her mouth) as she typed out her reply.

Well, this whole nerves situation sure as hell wasn’t getting solved today.

           

***

           

            Roxy bounced down the sidewalk, hoping her jaunty stride masked the fact that her heart was beating out of her chest. Strangers on the street didn’t take note of her, so she supposed that was at the very least a good start.

            As she neared the agreed upon coffee shop, she slowed down to what she hoped looked like a normal pace and discreetly checked herself out in the window of the store she was passing. Pink skirt that made her ass look good? Check. Leather jacket for added badass points? Check. Confidence? Eh, maybe a little lacking, but she’d make do.

            She swung open the door of the coffee shop and inhaled the heavenly aroma. Coffee always put her at ease, even more so than the feel of her favorite martini glass in her hand would. Roxy scanned the inside, taking in the cozy booths and artsy framed photographs lining the walls but not catching sight of anyone nearly blond enough to be the asshole she was looking for.

            Finally she saw him, tucked away in a corner booth, wearing red and black headphones and typing furiously on a laptop covered in stickers. With a mischievous smirk, she crept over to the booth, hoping to catch him off guard.

            When she was a few steps away, his head jerked up. Of course. Undeterred, she slid into the seat across from him.

            “Hey Dave! Enjoying your-“ she started before he cut her off with a grunt. He clicked away for a few seconds, and Roxy sat, stunned. She knew he was rude, but this…?

            He looked up, and smiled at her apologetically. Her heart melted. God, she was seriously so bad at being angry.

            “Sorry, I’m trying to finish this track, the fucking melody’s been driving me mad, but I think I got it” Dave said as he gestured to the waiter for another mug of coffee.

            “It’s all good…” she stuttered, still shocked that he had actually _smiled_. She definitely hadn’t seen that coming.

            “So what’dya need help with this time, o damsel in distress?”

            “Well, maybe you could buy me coffee for starters! I think ya owe me for laughing at my totes graceful fall yesterday.”

            “I’m not sure that qualified as graceful, but you caught me on a good day, so I’ll buy you a coffee anyway. Lemme guess, sugar but no cream?” Oh, he would get that right. Actually, now that she thought about it, he seemed kind of familiar. Nah, that was just her nerves talking.

            They bantered back and forth for a few minutes, and Roxy’s anxiety all but disappeared. Talking to Dave seemed natural, and his faint southern accent put her at ease. They discussed his music (he made his own and played at nightclubs downtown when he could) and her job (building custom computers and hacking a bit on the side).  Conversation flowed back and forth, his rambling metaphors counterpart to her constant giggling.

            Roxy smiled inwardly, happy that she had followed through with this. Dave was much cooler than she had anticipated, and maybe, just maybe, this would all end well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! :D  
> Any (constructive) criticism would be g8ly appreciated


	4. Surprise, Suprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's just a totally innocent friend-date, right?

            As the sun went down, the coffee shop gradually started to fill with couples that were (some more blatantly than others) being disgustingly cute. Dave and Roxy got more than a few glares pointed in their direction for bursting out laughing or raising their voices in jest. Soon, they had turned it into a game. Neither of them were fans of the mushy bullshit going on around them, so they decided to see who could get the most vocal reaction from their fellow patrons.

            “Oh, Mr. Striiiider, you don’t mean to tell me you really think BLACK PANTIES look better on my little sister, do you?” Roxy half-yelled in an atrocious fake British accent.

            “But of course, dear, she simply looks more, how do you say, sexy?” Dave chimed back in an equally ridiculous accent of his own. The two of the dissolved into giggles over the nonsense they were spewing and the near-hostile looks they were attracting from the people around them.

            “ Dave, you must-“

            “Excuse me, you two are going to need to either get the hell out of my business or quiet the fuck down in the next two seconds. I do not have the patience for your bullshit right now.” A short, skinny man in an apron, presumably the owner, stood in front of their table, glaring down at them with all the ferocity of an angry kitten. He might have been intimidating, but he was approximately five feet tall and wore a glaringly red sweater with a crab pattern on it underneath his apron. The flour and sprinkles in his hair didn’t help either.

            Dave slid out of the booth, looking like he was about to explode from holding in his laughter. Once standing he bowed deeply and offered his hand to Roxy.

            “M’lady” he said, with more than a bit of sarcasm.

            “Would you hurry it up? I’d really like to give this table to some less obnoxious customers. Leave, fucking shoo,” said the owner, his voice rising with each syllable.

            Dave and Roxy got out as quickly as they could, leaving the owner muttering to himself at their table. As soon as the door shut behind them they dissolved into laughter. Roxy felt great; it had been so long since she’d laughed hard enough to make her sides hurt.

            “So I guess this is where we part huh?” Roxy said, considerably quieter than she had been a few minutes ago.

            “Yeah, my roommate’s probably freaking about by now. Stupid motherfucker is constantly worrying about me.”  
            “Alright then, later gator!”

            They both turned to walk to their respective apartments, only to find that they were going in the same direction.

            “Well this is awkward,” Dave said, smirking not so subtly.

            “Damn, I guess you’re gonna have to walk me home then. But I suppose it’s kinda your duty as my knight in shining armor anyway.”

            They smiled at each other, and for the second time Roxy caught that flash of red behind Dave’s ever-present shades. His hair caught the soft glow of the streetlights and the freckles scattered across his nose and cheeks seemed darker in the low light. The way he walked was mesmerizing and…Roxy really needed to stop it right there. Now was not the time to let her mind wander, even if Dave did look really good in his black skinny jeans…. No. Stop.

            As if sensing Roxy’s straying thoughts, Dave turned to her with a quizzical look on his face.

            “Hey, Roxy?”

            “What’s up doll?”

            Almost before she could finish her sentence, Dave had grabbed her by the hips and pulled her flush against his chest. There was a moment, less than a heartbeat really, where she felt him hesitate, and then his lips were on hers. She felt them, soft and warm, move against her own slowly. He tasted faintly of coffee and chap stick, and she was totally lost in it all: the heat of standing so close, the silk of his hair where her hands had reached up the back of his neck, his hand squeezing her hip.

            And then it was over. Dave had pulled away and made to start walking again, leaving Roxy completely stunned. If it weren’t for the pink tint in his cheeks, she would have doubted whether that (completely amazing) kiss had even just happened.

            “What...the fuck….?” She managed, barely remembering to move her legs as he walked away.

            “Sorry, my ex was walking past and I didn’t want him to see me, so yeah, I did that. At least now if he knows it was me then he’s gonna be mad jealous, right?” Dave laughed, a bit nervously, and glanced sideways at Roxy.

            “He? And I still…what the fuck?” Roxy found herself incapable of finding any more words than that.

            “Yeah, I’m bi, I guess? I don’t really like to put a label on it. And wow yeah, that was probably really dumb of me, I’m sorry.”

            Roxy laughed breathily, and then on impulse, took Dave’s hand in hers and squeezed it gently.

            “It’s cool. Just don’t be pulling that shit on the regular, kay?”

            He smiled gratefully at her and then turned his head to the sky, letting out a shaky breath.

            “You’re one of the coolest broads I’ve ever had the honor of kissing, Roxy.”

           

 

            (They held hands the rest of the way home.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Karkat owns a coffee shop?   
> Everyone else will appear in here at least in passing, so now you get to guess who Dave's ex and roommate are!
> 
>  
> 
> Also, thanks so much for reading, you're all lovely creatures :3


	5. Of Course.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the long delay! This chapter is super short, but the next will make up for it in greatness, I promise

            The darkness permeated her, the hallway she where she was standing, the entire reality she resided in. Her breath came in heavy gasps, and her hands clutched her knees in a mostly futile attempt to steady herself. The ragged sounds emanating from her throat echoed down the long corridor. Seconds (or minutes or hours) later, when she could bear the dreary sight of her surroundings, she looked up.

            And there was light.

 ****

 

            Roxy awoke with a start, drenched in sweat, her heart pounding in her chest. Slowly she took in her surroundings that (surprise, surprise)… were her bedroom. Letting go of the fistfuls of sheets clenched in her hands, she tried to breathe.

            What had she been dreaming of? Something dreadful, for sure. Tequila usually did that. All she could remember even halfway clearly was darkness, and then a sudden relief. Roxy rubbed her eyes, suppressing the urge to remember her dream. Clearly it wasn’t a pleasant one, so what was the point?

            With much effort, Roxy lifted herself off her soft pink sheets. As she went through her morning routine (maybe more slowly than usual), she thought about the previous afternoon. It seemed as good a way as any to keep her mind from straying to darker subjects.

            Even so, thinking about Dave made her nervous. He had made her feel _whole,_ for the first time in too long. He was funny, albeit in a slightly off-color way. He was also interesting, charming, and handsome. But. Roxy really couldn’t see him again.

            It had occurred to her almost immediately after they had parted ways the day before. With an unwelcome jolt of clarity, she’d realized that she knew Dave already. They hadn’t met officially, but she had been in his house, and seen him passed out on the futon in his living room a few too many times. She’d also heard countless tales about him as a child, and knew a few of his embarrassing secrets.

            Roxy’s cheeks burned with shame even thinking about it. She shouldn’t know Dave on such an intimate level. And he had the right to know, really he should’ve known the first time they met so this awkward situation could have been avoided.

            Roxy knew Dave because she knew his brother.

            Or to be more accurate:

 

            she knew him because she had dated his brother.


	6. Flashback Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Roxy remembers something that is both joyful and painful.

The bass in the club reverberated in her chest, amplifying the pleasant buzz she felt from the apple-tinis she’d been drinking. The sea of people on the dance floor with her moved to let her through as she dragged Feferi to the front to see the DJ.

            He was marvelous. His blond hair reflected the dim, throbbing light, throwing him in and out of the shadows. It was difficult to discern any emotion from his face, though this was partially due the large sunglasses covering his eyes. His mouth was set in a straight line, but his fingers moved nimbly on the turntables. Despite his all black attire, Roxy could see he was broad-shouldered and, if his exposed forearms were anything to go by, pretty muscular.

            Try though she might, Roxy couldn’t get Feferi to appreciate how perfect this man was. Due to the huge crowd, the loud music, or the drinks, Roxy lost Feferi in a manner of minutes. She shrugged internally and returned to dancing and sneaking glances at the gorgeous DJ.

             Before long she’d become immersed in the music, letting the beats take hold of her and do with her what they pleased. She danced through numerous partners, eventually leaving all of them to move on to someone more receptive to their inappropriate advances. She made sure to stay close to the front though, so as to be most visible from where the DJ stood. Though she knew it was cliché and improbable at best, she had her heart set on going home with the DJ.

            The night wore on, with Roxy leaving the dance floor only to refill her martini glass.  As last call approached, she began to feel that her quest for the blond was going to be, as expected, fruitless. She pushed her way through the crowd for the last time, this time heading for the door. But as she neared the exit, the music quieted for a few seconds, just long enough for the DJ to say, “I know you ain’t about to just leave after dancin’ up here for me all night. Wait for me, wouldya?”

            Roxy froze. There was no way that was directed at her. But even as she tried to convince herself of that, she felt a hand on her shoulder pushing her the rest of the way out the door. She looked back through and saw a different person manning the turntables, this one tall, lanky, and definitely not blond. She spun around to look for the rude person who’d pushed her, only to find that they were now all but dragging her around the corner into the dark alley behind the club.

            Roxy took a deep breath and prepared to scream, but then she stopped. The man she had thought was attacking her was none other than the beautiful DJ she’d been admiring all night. So that comment _was_ meant for her! However, that still didn’t explain why he was pulling her into a dark alley or if he could be trusted to not assault her in some way.

            As if she’d spoken her thoughts aloud, the man replied, “I’m not gonna attack you or nothin’. I just need to get away from the fuckin’ crazies in there.”

            He stopped, letting go of her wrist and leaving it strangely cold. Roxy looked up, still too stunned to speak, as he pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it in one fluid motion. He took a deep drag, and Roxy could see the relief visible on his face. He removed his sunglasses and massaged the bridge of his nose where they left red marks. 

            Without thinking, Roxy took the cigarette when he offered it to her, forgetting for the moment that she didn’t smoke. Once she’d taken it, the man extended his hand, and she gripped it, noting his firm grasp.

            “Dirk Strider,” he said, “I know these ain’t the best circumstances to be meeting under, but it’s a pleasure.”

            “Roxy,” she replied numbly, “and it’s nice to meet you too. I..uh. Were you talking to me back there?”

            Dirk gave a small, almost bashful, smile. “Yeah, that wasn’t my best line. Or probably the best thing to do at work. But you were being too damn enticing.”

            Roxy blushed, but was victorious inside. She could be cunning when she wanted to, and it was nice to know that sometimes it helped her get what she wanted.

            “ Well thanks. I couldn’t very well help myself though, what with the whole sexy and mysterious DJ thing you have going on. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one in there trying to get your attention.”

            “Maybe so, but mosta the other girls in there ain’t so easy on the eyes.”

            Handing back the cigarette, Roxy tried her best to suppress the urge to giggle. She never would’ve expected her night to go like this, but it was, and she definitely was not complaining.

            Dirk inhaled one last time and stubbed out the cigarette. He watched the embers go cold and then looked up at Roxy, raising one eyebrow expectantly. She responded with a small smile and let his arm fall around her shoulders as they started walking.

            Nothing much was said on the short walk to Dirk’s apartment building. Roxy just enjoyed the feeling of accomplishment and the warmth of Dirk’s body so close to hers. She looked up at the sky, admiring the few stars visible through the city lights. It was a clear night, and she was happy to be there.

            When they reached the door to Dirk’s apartment, Roxy began to feel a bit nervous. What if he really was going to attack her or lock her in or drug her or oh my god this was a bad idea. She didn’t know this guy, she’d barely even had a conversation with him.

            Dirk opened the door slowly, peering inside before stepping over the threshold and motioning Roxy to follow. As soon as she saw the dim interior, her nerves completely dissipated. If the puppets, soda bottles, and ridiculous movie merchandise strewn around the apartment were anything to go by, Dirk was a totally normal guy.

            Then she did a double take. There was another person in the apartment with them, though he was asleep on the couch. Was that Dirk’s twin? The resemblance was uncanny. But she looked again and saw that he was definitely skinnier and his hair was nearly as spiky. It may have just been the fact that he was sound asleep, but his face looked much more soft and innocent.

            Roxy didn’t notice she was staring until she felt Dirk tug on her hand, and looked to see a very exasperated expression on his face. She followed him down a short hallway to what she presumed to be his bedroom. He closed the door softly behind them and turned to face her.

            “That’s my little brother, no we ain’t twins and no I won’t even fuckin’ consider a threesome so don’t ask.”

            Roxy laughed a bit too hard, wondering at Dirk’s ability to predict her thoughts so well.

            “I wasn’t gonna ask, but now that you mentioned it…” she trailed off, hoping her coy smile would reveal just how sarcastic she was being. Dirk rolled his eyes and turned around, kicking his shoes into the corner.

            He sat down on the bed, and she followed suit. They sat in silence for a minute, but neither of them felt it was uncomfortable. Roxy shifted so she was facing Dirk.

            “So, I,” she began, only to be cut off by Dirk’s mouth pressing firmly against hers. She responded by tangling her hands in his hair and kissing back fervently. His hands, in turn, moved to her waist. Roxy felt light-headed, and pulled away for a moment. She looked at Dirk, who gazed back intently.

            And the rest is history.

 

 

            (That night they fell asleep before anything serious happened, but they would continue later on and for months to come.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't think anything explicit belonged here (at least yet), and this pairing isn't the main focus I'm going for anyway. However, I'd be willing to finish the Roxy/Dirk story and publish is separately if anyone wants it!   
> Thanks for putting up with this craziness guys :3


	7. A Looming Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is not a very happy chapter, but it's not particularly unhappy either. Hopefully things start looking up for Roxy soon!

            Roxy shuddered at the unwelcome memory. It used to be one that gave her butterflies, made her feel like she’d for once made the right decision about a guy. She and Dirk had never really dated, but they’d become very close over the course of their pseudo-courtship. Roxy felt that given the time, it could have developed into a great relationship. It had ended abruptly though, with Dirk leaving for an internship that took him across several state lines and one time zone. Dirk had apologized profusely, and Roxy had cried, but they both knew Dirk would have been bitter and full of regret if he’d stayed.

            And now it didn’t matter anyway. Striders were clearly bad news for her. She couldn’t see Dave anymore, though she wanted to dearly. Of course, the best thing to do would be to tell him the reason she couldn’t get any more entwined, instead of disappearing without any explanation. But it would be painful for her, and it was way too early to be thinking about that, especially with such a bad headache.

            Roxy went through her usual morning routine, though maybe a little slower than usual. She spent extra time in the shower in the hope that the steam and hot water would clear her mind, or at least lessen its aching. However, much to her disappointment, all it did was make her skin shrivel up. She turned off the water and stood for another minute, resting her head against the cool tiles of the shower wall. There wasn’t much more she could do to waste time, and she didn’t have anything to get dressed for. She sighed deeply, stepping out of the steamy shower and wrapping herself in a fluffy pink towel with shells embroidered on the edges. Great, she needed to do laundry too. Feferi wasn’t a fan of other people using her towels.

            Roxy padded out to the kitchen to pour a cup of coffee. Her bubbly roommate was nowhere to be found, but Roxy was okay with that. She wasn’t sure if she was quite ready to handle her and her seemingly unending perkiness. Roxy found her favorite mug (the one with the cats, of course) and poured her coffee. She savored the smell, feeling a little revived at the rich scent.

            Walking back to her bedroom, Roxy wondered where she’d left her phone. She hadn’t needed it since leaving the coffee shop yesterday, and had never plugged it in to charge before falling asleep. It wasn’t unusual for her to misplace her phone, so she didn’t worry about it. She assumed it would turn up when she needed it, as it usually did. As she put on her makeup and decided on what clothes to wear, her mind was busy thinking of other things. But her phone didn’t turn up even after she was completely ready.

            Roxy wanted to call Feferi to get her thoughts on how to explain her situation to Dave. Surprisingly, Feferi was much more logical than Roxy when it came to boys. Roxy usually left their conversations feeling at the very least a better sense of direction in her messy love life.

            Spurred by the thought of her awkward situation with Dave, Roxy searched frantically for her missing phone. The apartment was small, so it didn’t take very long for her to realize that the hunt was completely futile. Her phone wasn’t there. But then where the hell could it possibly be?

            She walked quickly over to the kitchen, where the home phone was mounted on the wall. Neither she nor Feferi used it regularly, so there was dust collecting on it. Roxy brushed it off and picked up the phone, cradling it between her face and her shoulder. She dialed her cell number.

             As she waited anxiously for someone to pick up, Roxy mentally went over places she could have left her cell phone. The day before she had only left the house to go get coffee with Dave. She had stopped at a liquor store on the way home and run into the girl who often sat next to her in their math lecture. Then Roxy had walked the rest of the way back to the apartment. The trip had taken her nearly all the way across town and back, and her phone could have been left anywhere on the route.

            _“Roxy’s phone. Who is this?”_ A familiar voice rasped over the line.

            Of course. The one person she was trying to avoid: Dave.

            “Dave? Thank god you have my phone!” Roxy exclaimed, trying hard to feign excitement.

            _“Yeah, who else would’ve had it? You gave it to me to hold yesterday when you went to the bathroom at the coffee place. I guess I forgot to give it back.”_

Roxy almost started banging her head against the wall. She couldn’t believe she had actually forgotten.

            “Okay, well I’m gonna need that back, so do you wanna meet me somewhere?”

            _“I’m not gonna be able to get out today, I have to help my brother with some shit around the apartment. I’ll give you my address so you can come pick it up.”_

“I already-“ Roxy stopped. She had almost told Dave she knew where the apartment was. But it didn’t matter either way. There was no way she could go over to the apartment when both Dave and Dirk were there.

            “I don’t know if I can make it over, actually. I should go, Dave. Sorry to bother you this early.”

            _“Shit, Roxy. Did I do something? You sound like someone just killed your dog or something.”_ Dave sounded wounded, making Roxy feel even guiltier.

“No I, it’s nothing Dave. I guess I’ll be over soon.”

            Roxy let Dave tell her his address, though she could have made her way over blindfolded. She hung up, a sense of dread growing in the pit of her stomach. It was only fair that she told Dave about her history with Dirk, but she had counted on doing it without Dirk around. He was bound to make the whole painful situation more difficult than was necessary. And that was not to mention the fact that he would probably be angry, too.

            As she headed out the door, Roxy grabbed her leather jacket. As winter neared, the wind was becoming harsher and the cold more bitter. It wasn’t until she was halfway to the apartment that she remembered Dirk had bought the jacket for her.


End file.
